Planning a Camping Trip for Summertime Fun

Planning a camping trip can be rather overwhelming if it is not something you do very often. Does your family enjoy camping? We recently went camping for the weekend, but I had not been camping since I was a child. Plus, I do not think I ever stayed in a tent! I have come to realize that there are a lot people who consider summertime camping to be a requirement for the summer months. In fact, since having gone on our camping trip and talking to people about it, there are more people who go camping every year than I ever realized!

Planning a Camping Trip

If your family has not gone camping in recent years, or has never gone, you may want to look at this as a great option for a vacation. Also, if you are planning a camping trip, here are some things to take into consideration when making plans. For instance, where to go on your trip, what you will need to take, safety concerns to prepare for, what types of costs are involved, and what weather you may encounter.

Where to go: There are many great places to choose from for camping. We camped at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana, which offered several different camping options. National and State Parks tend to offer different types of camping based on your family’s interests. If you would like to have all the amenities, then you will want to see what types of cabins are available. If you would rather ‘rough it’, most parks will also offer more primitive camping options. You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce or look up the different campsites on the Internet.

The campsite we stayed at was without electricity, but since we did not have a camper it was not necessary. We did stay in a campsite though were there was a men’s and a women’s restroom that included showers.

What to take: Deciding what you will need to take with you on your camping trip will depend on where you are going. For instance, if you will be staying in a camper with full hook-ups for electricity and water then you may already have most of the essential things with you. If you are going tent camping though, you will need a tent, tarp, pillow, sleeping bag, blanket, pillow, sleeping mat, clothing, food for the entire trip and a first aid kit.

The people we went with on our camping trip do camp all year round, so you can say they are somewhat of the expert campers! They pre-prepared all the food and froze what they can. They then used the frozen food as “ice” so they did not have to pack any additional ice. For instance, for scrambled eggs they broke all the eggs, mixed them and poured it into a ziplock bag to avoid the additional mess of egg shells at the campsite. This made cooking meals a lot less time consuming.

Safety concerns: Whenever you take a camping trip, it is important to have a first aid kit that is well-stocked. Thankfully the people we were with knew what poison ivy looked like so that was not a problem, but you do want to have medicine for poison ivy and for insect bites. You will also want to make sure you take along plenty of water. We had a 10 gallon cooler of water from home with us that we used for not only washing dishes, but for filling water bottles. Consider where you are camping, and what emergency facilities are nearby if needed.

Costs: The Costs will also depend upon where you are camp. For instance, at the State Park we camped at it was $15 a night. There are National Parks and State Parks that can cost as little as $10 per day depending upon the facilities you choose.

Weather concerns: Keep an eye on what type of weather is to be expected so you can make appropriate preparations. During the one day of our camping trip it rained pretty heavily. Thankfully the family we were with had several tarps and rope create a covered area for cooking and eating. Also, they had brought a lot of rain ponchos so that we could still go on our hiking trip.

One thing you may want to do if you are bringing children with you who have never camped before is to plan a camp-out in your backyard. Our kids love doing this each year! This will help you see how they are sleeping in a tent, and if they are too afraid then you have the comforts of your home within a few steps.

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Comments

First aid kits, flashlights, matches, plenty of clean drinking water, water purifiers, pots for boiling water or iodine tablets, food and clothes that can withstand any elements you may be facing are all crucial to have with you when you get out into the woods. Pay attention to rules around lakes regarding boats and fishing areas. Know where it is safe to swim and where there is a danger of fishing line and hooks.